CHAPTER VI 



THROUGH ELEPHANT GRASS AND WATER 



We struck camp at Panyongo early in the morning and 

 as usual breakfasted under the stars amidst the noisy 

 chattering carriers, who were busily folding up the tents. 

 Each man, taking his load, with his sleeping mat firmly 

 tied on top, lays it in line with those of the rest of the 

 party who have already formed up in a row on the dew- 

 spangled grass, each of them squatting behind his load 

 and shivering in the damp atmosphere of early morn. 

 When all were ready we set off down the slope through 

 long elephant grass that waved over our heads and 

 presently emerged at the river, which at this spot is about 

 thirty yards in width, overhung by large trees that line 

 the banks with festoons of gaily coloured foliage that 

 reach from the branches almost down to the water. 

 Fortunately a canoe is kept here by the Government for 

 the use of the post boys and any traveller that should 

 chance to come this way. 



On this trip the natives who look after the canoe were 

 at their post, apparently the Congo people had not raided 

 here lately. We could put three boys and four loads in 

 the leaky old eighteen-foot dugout at one trip, and in 

 spite of an exceptionally strong current prevailing at the 

 time, the whole safari was across in an hour. The 

 mules and donkey were made to swim over with a rope 

 attached to the headstall, the end of which I, with half 

 a dozen boys, had hold of on the north bank, pulling in as 



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